The Missing Will

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  He removed his dirty shirt and stared at his reflection in the mirror, rubbing the prickly stubble on his face. He needed a shave but didn’t have time for that right now. Just a quick shower, change, and I’ll be out the door. Still, wish I had something to give the boy.

  Joel’s stomach growled loudly, which only magnified his hunger. Bananas and a pear were in a bowl in the kitchen. He might have to eat the fruit as he drove to Charm, since he’d be too late for the home-cooked meal he could have had at Arlene’s with his family.

  An idea popped into Joel’s head, and he forgot about his hunger for the moment. He did have something Scott might like for his birthday.

  Farmerstown

  Arlene had no more than placed Scott’s cake on the table when a knock sounded on the door.

  “I’ll get it.” Larry pushed back his chair and hurried from the room. When he returned, Joel was with him, holding a banana peel and a pear core.

  “Sorry I’m late. I had to work later than I hoped, and traffic was bad, but I wanted to wish Scott a happy birthday and give him this.” Joel fumbled with his garbage, while he tried to reach in his jacket pocket.

  Arlene noticed his dilemma and stepped up to him. “I’ll throw that away for you.” She took the banana peel and what was left of the pear, and handed him a napkin to wipe his hands.

  “Sorry about the mess. Since I was running late, the fruit ended up being my dinner, which I ate on the drive down here.”

  “There’s some leftover chicken in the refrigerator. You’re welcome to eat some of that,” she offered.

  “Sounds good.” Joel gave her a sheepish grin.

  “I’ll fix you a plate after I’ve served the cake.”

  “No hurry.” Joel wiped his hands on the napkin, handed it back to Arlene, then slipped his hands into his pockets and withdrew a harmonica, which he gave to Scott.

  The boy’s eyes widened, and his lips curved into a huge smile. “Wow! Is this your mouth harp, Uncle Joel?”

  Joel nodded. “Well, one of ’em anyway. I have a few, in different keys. The one I’m giving you is in the key of G. I chose it because a lot of songs are played in that key.”

  Scott’s face beamed as he held the harmonica as though it were a piece of gold. “Will ya teach me how to play it, Uncle Joel? Will ya show me what to do right now?”

  “Don’t you think you oughta blow out your candles and eat some of your birthday cake first?”

  “Your uncle is right.” Arlene pushed the cake plate closer to Scott. “After we’ve had cake and ice cream, we’ll let you open your gifts, and then Uncle Joel can give you a lesson on the harmonica.”

  Scott glanced at the others, as if to see what they thought. When everyone nodded, he smiled up at Joel. “Why don’t ya take off your coat and pull up a chair? I bet you haven’t tasted any cake as good as my mamm makes.”

  Arlene waited to see what her brother had to say about that, then smiled when he said, “Well, she had a good teacher. Our mother, your sweet grandma, baked cakes so good they made your tongue beg for more.” Joel reached up to his ear and gave it a couple of tugs.

  Scott snickered. “Sure is good to see ya smilin’, Uncle Joel. Don’t it feel good to you?”

  Giving a quick nod, Joel led the others in singing “Happy Birthday” to Scott.

  Arlene’s heart warmed. Seeing the sincerity on her brother’s face brought back memories of when they were young. It was the first time in a good many years when his defenses seemed to be down. Maybe…just maybe, things are looking up in this family.

  Akron

  Kristi stifled a yawn as she prepared to take several of the patients their prescribed medication before they went to sleep. She’d worked a double shift again today but wondered if it had been a mistake. She would be getting up early tomorrow morning to go with her mother to another quilting class in Berlin, and she looked forward to it. But working the later shift meant she wouldn’t get to bed until well past midnight. If it weren’t for me breaking things off with Joel, Mom and I probably wouldn’t be taking the quilting class because I’d be spending my Saturdays with him, Kristi thought. So I guess at least one good thing came out of it.

  Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was only eight o’clock, so she had a few hours to go. Unintentionally, Kristi thought of Joel again. When they were dating, they often went out on Friday nights, so she rarely volunteered to work the evening shift. Those had been carefree evenings.

  How could I have been so blind? she berated herself. Joel had me fooled for a long time. I’ll never allow myself to be taken in by him or any other man.

  With a shake of her head, Kristi pulled her thoughts back to the task at hand. It did no good to think about the past. She needed to focus on the needs of her patients and make sure everyone had what they needed before they went to sleep.

  After she’d distributed medication to all the patients but one, Kristi remembered the new magazines she’d brought for Audrey. She hurried back to the nurse’s station to grab them.

  When she entered Audrey’s room, she found the pleasant woman sitting in her favorite chair near the window. “Good evening. I have a few flower magazines for you.” Kristi pulled them out of the plastic bag she carried and handed them to Audrey.

  “Oh, how nice of you.” She smiled sweetly and began to thumb through the first one. “This has some lovely flower pictures.”

  “I hope you enjoy them.” Kristi watched as Audrey turned the pages. Then she glanced beyond her and looked at the window. Even though it was dark outside, the curtain was open.

  “I have your medication for you to take now.” Kristi handed Audrey a glass of water and the small paper cup with her pills. “How are you feeling this evening?”

  “I’m fine.” Audrey placed the magazine in her lap with the others and smiled. “Even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t complain. I have much to be thankful about.”

  Kristi was amazed at this pleasant woman’s positive attitude. She always seemed to look on the bright side of things, despite the fact that she was dying of cancer. It was hard for Kristi to understand why Audrey had refused treatment. Perhaps it was because she’d had cancer before, and it had come back. Maybe Audrey was content to live out her life with nothing but pain medication to see her through until the end. It was an individual choice, and Kristi respected that. But it hurt her to know the dear lady had no living relatives or close friends to help her through this rough time in her life. But she has the Lord, Kristi reminded herself. And I will be here for her as much as I can.

  “How are you, dear?” Audrey asked after she’d taken her pills. “I’ve been praying for you.”

  “I’m doing better and appreciate your prayers.” Kristi took a seat on the end of Audrey’s bed. “I’ve been praying for Joel, too, but he’s still up to his old tricks.”

  Audrey tipped her head, raising a quizzical brow. “Is it something you’d like to talk about?”

  Kristi hesitated at first but then told Audrey how she’d met up with Joel when she’d been jogging at the park and that he’d said he had spent the weekend at his dad’s house, looking for the will.

  “Joel’s concentration seems to be on how he can get his hands on more money, yet when he does have money, he spends it foolishly—like he did when he bought a classic car he didn’t need. I think he’s obsessed with it.” She drew in a quick breath and released it with a huff. “Maybe my prayer for Joel will never be answered.”

  Audrey stood and moved slowly over to Kristi. Placing her hand on Kristi’s arm, she said in a confident tone, “God always answers our prayers. Sometimes it’s yes. Sometimes no. And sometimes He wants us to wait. When your faith begins to waver, dear, remember the words of Psalm 46:10: ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’” She smiled pleasantly and released a soft sigh. “I am more than ready to meet the Lord.”

  CHAPTER 10

  When Kristi entered her parents’ house to share their Thanksgiving meal, a sense of sadness enveloped her. Joel had
come here with her last year to celebrate the holiday. She wondered what he was doing right now. Had he been invited to one of his sisters’ homes? Or maybe he’d gone to his friend Tom’s place to eat. She was sure he wouldn’t have spent the day at home alone, because Joel didn’t like to cook that much.

  Kristi had gone to the bank like her dad suggested, withdrawn what was left of the money, and closed her and Joel’s joint account, which the bank teller said she could do. She hoped if Joel tried to take more money out, the closed account would give him another indication that their relationship was definitely over.

  Up until a week ago, he had been calling and leaving Kristi messages almost every day. She hadn’t heard anything from him since then and wondered if he was too busy to call or had finally figured out she wasn’t going to take him back and had given up his pursuit. She hoped it was the latter, because listening to his voice messages or reading his texts was a constant reminder of her loss. It would be a lot easier to move on with her life if she didn’t hear from Joel anymore.

  The delicious aroma of turkey cooking drove Kristi’s thoughts aside, so she hung her coat in the hall closet and made her way to the kitchen.

  “Happy Thanksgiving.” Kristi gave her mother a hug. “The turkey smells delicious. Is it done?”

  “Yes, but I’m keeping it on low until the potatoes are cooked. Would you like to see how it looks?”

  “Sure, Mom.”

  Her mother grabbed a potholder and opened the oven door.

  Kristi stepped up to the stove as Mom slid the bird out far enough to remove the foil and expose the golden brown meat. “Yum! That looks and smells so good. As always, you’ve roasted a beautiful Thanksgiving turkey.”

  “Thanks, hon.” Mom put the foil back on and slid the pan into the oven again. “I hope it tastes as good as last year’s turkey.”

  “I’m sure it will.” Kristi moved over to look at the holiday wall hanging. “Is there anything you’d like me to do?”

  “Not at the moment.” Mom gestured to the stove. “The veggies are cooking, the dining-room table is set, and the salad and pies are in the refrigerator, so there’s not much to do until it’s time to serve the meal. Would you like to sit here in the kitchen while I keep an eye on things, or visit with your dad in the living room, where he’s watching TV?”

  TV. Why am I not surprised? Kristi stared out the kitchen window with an unfocused gaze as she thought about Joel’s Amish family. I wonder if his sisters know how fortunate they are that their husbands don’t have a television for entertainment. Kristi didn’t have anything against TV per se; she just thought for many people it was a distraction that robbed them of time they should be spending with family.

  “Are you all right?” Mom placed her hand gently on Kristi’s shoulder. “You didn’t even respond to my question.”

  She turned to face her mother. “Oh, you mean about whether I want to stay here or sit and watch TV with Dad?”

  Mom nodded.

  “I’ll stay here. You’ll need my help when the potatoes are ready to be mashed.”

  “Okay.” Mom went to the cupboard and took out two cups. “While we’re waiting for the vegetables to cook, let’s have a cup of tea. Would you like regular or decaf?”

  “Do you have any peppermint tea?” Kristi asked, licking her lips. She’d had some iced mint tea the day of Joel’s father’s funeral and enjoyed it.

  “Sorry, honey. I only have black tea and a pumpkin spice blend that’s decaffeinated.”

  “I’ll try that.”

  After Mom poured them both a cup of tea, she took a seat at the table beside Kristi. “I’m glad you didn’t have to work today, because it would have been a lonely Thanksgiving without you.”

  “I’m glad to be here, too.” Since both sets of Kristi’s grandparents lived in another state, they rarely got together for Thanksgiving and sometimes not even Christmas. Since Kristi was their only child, with the exception of some friends from church, she was all Mom and Dad really had.

  She enjoyed their company—even more so since she’d broken up with Joel. Her parents had been supportive, which was what she needed, and had refrained from reminding her that Joel had been a poor choice for a husband. The only thing she didn’t appreciate was when Mom hinted at Kristi becoming involved with one of the young single men from church. Kristi needed the chance to heal from the pain she felt whenever she thought about Joel’s deceptions. It would be some time before she felt ready to begin a new relationship with a man.

  Joel sat on the couch, staring at the TV, barely noticing the weather report on the screen. He felt miserable today—not only from the nasty cold he’d come down with, but the loneliness permeating his soul. Last year on Thanksgiving, he’d gone to Kristi’s parents’ house for dinner. It had been a good day, despite her mother’s coolness. Joel had known from their first meeting that JoAnn Palmer didn’t care much for him. She probably thought her daughter could do better than a struggling contractor. Or maybe there was something about Joel’s personality JoAnn didn’t like. If only there was some way he could convince Kristi to give him another chance.

  Joel reached for a tissue and blew his nose. He hadn’t tried calling Kristi for a week, thinking it might be good to give her a chance to cool down. Hopefully, she’d realize she missed him as much as he did her.

  Remembering how Kristi had been there for him during his dad’s funeral, Joel’s thoughts turned in another direction. The will had still not been found, but he’d decided not to bug his sisters about it until after Thanksgiving. Everyone had been nice to him when he’d gone to Arlene and Larry’s place for Scott’s birthday. Joel figured if he didn’t bring up the will for a while, they might see him in a different light. He wouldn’t wait forever, though, because he still needed his share of Dad’s money. He also planned to talk with them about selling Dad’s horses and sharing the profit. At least that would give them some money until the will was found.

  Elsie had invited Joel to her house for Thanksgiving, but he didn’t want to expose anyone to his cold, so he’d declined. Besides, he probably wouldn’t be the best company when he felt so crummy. Scott would probably want another lesson on the harmonica, and Joel wasn’t up for that.

  Grunting, he pulled himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. He felt hungry and was glad he’d bought a few frozen dinners the other day. He opened the freezer and pulled one out with turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes. “Guess I may as well put the frozen meal in the oven now. At least I’ll have a taste of turkey, even if it’s not the best.”

  Joel ambled over to the stove and adjusted the setting. He had time to wait since the oven would take a while to preheat. In the meantime, he grabbed a tray to eat his dinner on and took it to the living room, placing it on the coffee table. Then he went to his room and got the comforter from his bed to cover up with while he watched TV and ate his meal.

  “Might as well take care of myself, since my fiancée isn’t around to baby me anymore.” He grimaced. “I really don’t like the sound of that.”

  Millersburg, Ohio

  “Sure wish Uncle Joel woulda come for dinner today,” Scott mumbled as everyone sat around Elsie’s dining-room table. “The night of my party he said if I wanted to learn to play the mouth harp, I should blow and suck.” He wrinkled his nose. “I’ve been doin’ it for the last week, but still can’t make schee myusick the way Uncle Joel can do.”

  “Grandpa made pretty music, too,” Martha spoke up. “I liked his playing the best.”

  Scott frowned at his sister. “Never said I didn’t like the way Grandpa played, but he never got around to teachin’ me. Besides, Grandpa’s not here anymore.”

  The room got deathly quiet, and Elsie sucked in her breath. She didn’t need the reminder that her father wasn’t here. This was the first Thanksgiving he hadn’t shared the meal with their family. Dad’s dry sense of humor and quick comebacks always kept the conversation lively.

  Arlene tapped Scott’s ar
m. “Even though your grossdaadi isn’t here today, we have many good memories of him, for which we can be thankful.”

  “That’s right,” Doris agreed. “In fact, I think it would be nice if we went around the table and everyone said one thing they remembered about our daed that makes them feel thankful.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Brian said. “Who wants to go first?”

  Doug’s hand shot up. “I will.”

  Larry gave a nod. “Go ahead, Son.”

  “I’m thankful Grandpa let me and Scott help build the treehouse.” His head dipped as he mumbled, “But I wish he hadn’t died.”

  Elsie fought to keep her emotions under control. By the time they all said what they were thankful for concerning Dad, she’d have to pass a box of tissues around.

  After the meal was over, the women and girls cleared the table, while the men discussed what board games they should get out to play after the dishes were done. Since everyone was full from the meal, they’d decided to wait awhile to eat their dessert of pumpkin and apple pies. Doris had also brought some pumpkin bread from the bakery in Walnut Creek.

  Elsie stood in front of the sink, rinsing the dishes, and thought about Joel, while Arlene prepared coffee for anyone who wanted it after dinner. Elsie couldn’t help wondering how Joel had spent his Thanksgiving. He’d left her a message, saying he appreciated the invitation, but wouldn’t be coming to dinner because he had a cold. She figured he was probably spending Thanksgiving alone.

  How sad that he messed things up between him and Kristi, Elsie thought as she ran warm water into the sink, adding some detergent. It would have been nice if both Joel and Kristi could have joined us today. I wanted to get to know her better.

  Elsie’s muscles relaxed as she submerged her hands in the water. She grabbed the sponge on the edge of the sink and scrubbed one of the plates. Most people didn’t enjoy hand-washing dishes, but it felt pleasant to Elsie. The water surrounding her skin was cozy—like wrapping up in a warm blanket on a cold evening. It was one of the simple things that made her feel content.